Kaati Express | Karama

There’s a little nostalgia hidden at every nook and corner in Dubai, and when it comes to Indian street food, we can hardly ever say no. This time it went a little further from just plain street food, and instead brought up a lot of food memories from my childhood. I’m talking about Kaati Express.

Founded by a Bohri, this little gem in Karama offers a lovely selection of kaati rolls, samosas, street snacks and biryani – all with a touch of Bohri cuisine twist. Read on to find out what we tried and what we are definitely going back for.

We started with a typical Chicken Tikka kaati roll. Done quite well with juicy pieces of marinated chicken tikka rolled up in a paratha, this one makes the perfect choice of snack, especially when you’re craving for a quick bite with your evening tea. Next up we tried their special Jumbo Vada Pav. Not your typical vada pav bread, this one is served in a burger styled sesame bun with lots of crunchy farsan on the side. I don’t know, but for me, the vada pav should stay just the way it is. The flavors were good, but I’ve definitely had better ones out there.

Moving on to their next dish, we tried the Baida Roti. Truly Bombaiya in so many ways, this is exactly what you would get at a local spot for breakfast. Made with so much attention to detail, this one’s a winner. Next, it was time for their ultimate bestseller – Kheema Samosas. In one word: HEAVENLY! Kheema samosas have always been my favorite, since childhood. I always remember how my mom used to prepare the filling and carefully stuff the samosa sheets with it. The kheema samosas at Kaati Express brought back those exact memories. They have a true home style filling with a kaati crust, and the filling, believe you me, is so juicy, so tasty – simply put, it’s going to take some effort to stop at 1 or 2 samosas.

For mains, we had their Chicken Biryani. One thing about this quintessential Bohri style biryani is that the biryani masala is literally made at home. The biryani is good, but a little more spicy would have made it so much better. Ask them for a spicier version. I am sure they will try their best to turn up the heat on this!

For desserts, we were offered their house favorite Phirni which was neither too sweet, nor too heavy, so it didn’t really feel guilty after that entire meal.

Kaati Express

Location: Shop 5, Ground Floor, Sheikh Hamadan Colony, Block B 5, Street 10 B, Al Karama, Dubai
Contact: 04 5260306

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